How to Zottman Curl

About the Zottman Curl

An uncommon, yet very effective exercise for targeting the arm flexor muscles (the biceps, brachialis and brachioradialis) as well as the muscles of the forearms.

The concentric portion (as you curl the dumbbells up) of the exercise primarily targets the biceps, with them being in a mechanically strong position when the supinated grip is used during a curl. At the top of the exercise we rotate the wrists, switching to a pronated grip. As we lower the weight with the pronated grip (the eccentric portion of the exercise) we readily engage the brachioradialis (a muscle which runs from the forearm to the upper arm) and brachialis (the muscle located beneath the biceps).